Quality teaching, successful students package begins in NSW schools

July 12, 2015. A major new investment begins today in NSW public primary schools, which will enable more than 1,000 of the best teachers to mentor and coach other teachers, improving the results of students.

NSW Premier Mike Baird, Minister for Education Adrian Piccoli and Lane Cove MP Anthony Roberts today met some of the first students and teachers who will benefit from the $224 million Quality Teaching, Successful Students package during a visit to Ryde East Public School.

“As teachers and students return to school for term three I’m proud to be delivering on this key election commitment. As we improve the skills of our teachers, we will help students achieve better results,” Mr Baird said.

“In the best school systems in the world, the top teachers pass on their expertise to their colleagues and that helps lift teaching standards in every classroom in that school.”

The package which begins this term will enable selected teachers to:

Mentor and coach other teachers;
Observe teachers in their classrooms and demonstrate effective teaching strategies;
Monitor student performance data across the school to ensure teachers are focused on areas of need; and
Collaborate within their school and with colleagues in other schools.

A recent three-year study of 6,000 NSW public school teachers found that collaborating with colleagues was the most significant professional learning practice for primary teachers.

“This initiative, made possible by NSW signing up to the Gonski agreement, gives schools an opportunity they have been seeking for years ”“ to use their best, most experienced teachers to improve teaching and learning in every classroom,” Mr Piccoli said.

“The $224 million will provide additional staffing so that selected experienced teachers can take up these important leadership roles across their schools.

“In line with the Local Schools, Local Decisions education reform, principals ”“ who are best placed to make decisions about their schools ”“ will determine how to use this new staffing resource.”

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